keeps_a_cool_head

[In Zero, Scorpius does what he does best: he plans. Giving him space and time to think through what he wants and how to get it is one of the unintended gifts of his cell space, and he appreciates every moment of it.

After several days, he addresses the Barge]

A question to my fellow shipmates;

When an inmate commits a grievous crime, who is to blame for it? Obviously the inmate must share some, but what percentage is attributed to them and what percentage is attributed to their warden, who may be unfit to command them? A warden may fail just as easily by not admitting to something that could be most assuredly out of their control.

And what of inmates who aren't paired and no one has taken the time to explain to them the rules?

My apologies to Alex Summers. While it was certainly my intent to hurt him, he had done nothing to harm me and was simply in the correct place at the correct time.

[Private to Crichton]

Of course, John, we all know that you are the one fully to blame.

More like Alex will follow. You cannot hope to save them all.

In a few days' time they will be forced to release me. What has changed between the time of my entering this cell and the time of my leaving it? As a deterrent towards behavior, Zero leaves much to be desired.

I am willing to entertain ideas of a deal between us.

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You're welcome. [And she says it sincerely, which boggles her in the back of her mind. At the same time - it's comforting.

She can still do more than destroy.

Jean flicks off the comm, and starts to gather the books.]

[And Scorpius, for his part, remains in Zero until such time as he can procure more reading material to wait out this exceedingly long prison sentence]

[It doesn't take her long to get there. She could drag her feet, but what's the point? Better to just face old fears that shouldn't matter any more.

Her smile is strained, when she enters Zero, when she walks past the ~~cages cells, but she refuses to slow down. There are four books in her arms, thick and sturdy and a little battered.]~~

[Jean will find Scorpius sprawled out on his cot, staring up at the ceiling. He's quiet, but he isn't bored; not when he's been given so much to consider by the Barge. At Jean's footsteps, he waits a beat and then turns his head to acknowledge her, sitting up]

Hello, Jean.

[Jean waves, and the movement isn't as tense as it could be. She's good, now, at controlling how she looks, how she acts. She has to be.]

I've got these three, but if you finish those before you're out I can grab some from the library.

Thank you.

[He stands, walking over to the cell doors to reach for the books given]

I have to say, this is by far the most pleasant imprisonment I've ever been a party to.

[Jean snorts as she hands them over. Their fingers brush; her skin is cool to the touch.]

Yeah, we're a bit luxury for a prison ship. [She doesn't mind that, most days; they're about rehabilitation, not punishment. But when the standard punishment for maiming people is a week in timeout....]

Wardens can get creative, though.

[He likes the coolness, he finds: Scorpius is always running a fever, burning hot. He's forever too warm. But in Zero, his temperature seems to be at least regulating himself as his 'power' is contained. A fact which he is oddly grateful about]

So I've been told. But even I have to admit I'm getting off far too easy. And while I don't think that not punishing inmates to what they deserve will be the downfall of the Barge, I would caution against it. Deals are much harder to achieve when the creatures your deals ride on feel that there is barely any consequence to their actions.

[Jean nods, hands slipping into her pockets. It's nice, she's found, transforming her clothes; if she wants pockets, she has them.]

The trick is finding something that makes an impression, but isn't cruel - and that'll depend on the Inmate.

And what if some inmates learn best through cruelty?

Does anyone, really? It might be what they know best, but - that's probably part of why they're here.

[Scorpius does. But he won't say it aloud. Instead, books in hand, he sets them on the edge of his cot and sits back down]

You have a very...soft way of looking at things. Not to say that softness is weak, but it isn't precisely how things tend to work, in my experience.

[Her smile is wry, as she remembers the fire consuming Arthas' mind.]

I try to be. [I have to be.] I know the world isn't, but - that just makes it more important.

Please don't think of me as being sarcastic when I say that I find that a very brave thing.

[Foolish, ultimately, but also brave]

[Oh. Her smile shifts, becomes something warmer and brighter.]

Thank you.

[Scorpius nods, turning his attention back to the books. He doesn't go in for baseless flattery: what he says, he usually means it. Now he begins to page through the first one, attempting to ignore the archaic method of housing information. Paper, really?]

You've read these before?

Yeah. [Several times, before her telepathy bloomed and her memory perfected itself.] That one, that's the basics - how evolution works on Earth, the general course for humanity. The second goes into more detail - genetics, what they determine, how they change.

And the third is about...more recent leaps forward. I don't know if that applies to John's world.

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

[Truth be told, Scorpius is more of a history nerd than a geneticist. Genetics are a sore point with him. Additionally, he's not sure how helpful these books will be: first because everything will be in Earth terms, and second, it will likely be akin to a bioengineer of the 21st century struggling to understand Aristotle. Aristotle may be the building blocks and beginning stages of everything the bioengineer knows to be true, but in the end Aristotle got pretty much everything wrong. Without context, he can't hope to make much headway into the minds of humans]

When do you expect these back?

You can keep them, if you want. [There's some sentiment there, sure - Charles gave him to her. But passing them on is the kind of thing he'd be happy to see.

Besides, the words themselves will never leave her.] I've memorised them.

Thank you.

[He looks the books over again, before setting them to the side of the cot.]

And nothing in return?

I don't need anything. [A slight smirk.] I've gotta say, the free room and board part is nice.

For me, it was enough that I am not under daily torture. This Barge, as I've said, is a luxury of a prison.

[Something sparks in her gut, a flare of indignant rage. It only shows briefly on her face.]

That'll happen sometimes, just to warn you.

[Scorpius hardly reacts at all, except to stare more intently at Jean's face]

Then I have ample warning.

[There's no trace of ardent fury now, but it's waiting there, behind her eyes.]

Some worlds will strip you of all your abilities. They'll make you vulnerable.

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